Thursday, April 28, 2016

BAND ANNOUNCES VINYL REISSUE OF SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM WITH BONUS TRACK ON DATE

NORTHEAST TOUR DATES CONTINUE AS WINTERPILLS ADDED TO GREEN RIVER FEST JULY 10

New York Times-bestselling novelist Jonathan Lethem and Winterpills
songwriter and lead singer Philip Price engage in a fascinating Q&A
in Vulture that touches on films and paintings; the dynamic between the
husband-wife duo that leads the band; the influence of Elliott Smith;
and the larger sonic scale of new album ‘Love Songs’ (Signature Sounds):
http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/jonathan-lethem-interviews-winterpills-frontman.html

NPR World Café has set a date for the indie rock/folk band’s performance chat on May 3. A Relix Magazine “On the Verge” profile is planned.

Meanwhile, northeast tour dates continue including in May in
Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. as the band was added to Green River
Festival on July 10, the same date at the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and Margo Price.

Signature Sounds has also set a release date to reissue its self-titled
debut with lyrics and liner notes on a full-color inner sleeve, clear
blue vinyl, and a never-before-heard song included in the download on June 24.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Petunia & The Vipers will launch a west coast US tour around their new album ‘Dead Bird on the Highway’ (May 20
/ Samo Media). What can one say about Petunia & The Vipers? Imagine
Hank Williams on acid… Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's Hobo
junction… Avant-Country night club scene music out of a David Lynch
movie… hillbilly-flavored-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-

thunderously rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show…
Phil Alvin says, "One of the best bands in the world today, of any
kind…" A new music that springboards off of music of the past and jumps
into the present day, left with only echoes of the past.

If one wished to talk about the birth of the blues, one would need to
dig into the influences that preceded its birth. The same is true about
Petunia & the Vipers. If they followed a recipe and added musical
styles as ingredients, it would start by simply adding country and
blues. Bring to boil while stirring in a dose of ragtime, some Dixieland
jazz, a hint of bebop, some western swing and old time cowboy music, a
bit of jug band & string band music. Flavor with a significant dose
of Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, and a bit of Blind Willie McTell
and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Bake on high with the dotted rhythms of
Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, Romanian and African folk music. Ice the whole
thing with some punk rock hot sauce and you’ve got a delectable musical
concoction…part old-time, part new times, part no time at all, part
all-of-the-time…

Petunia himself is more than an entertainer, he's a modern musical
enigma. He’s an adventure seeker, a poker player, and a mysterious
stranger. He’s been referred to as “The Savior of Country Music,” and a
man who exists in a different era, bringing the past forth as something
new to be celebrated and not forgotten.

Petunia grew up in rural Quebec, in exactly the sort of surroundings
that a country musician would find idyllic, with old dilapidated barns,
secret forts, and acres of unspoiled land. As an adult, the wandering
spirit took a firm hold on his life, so he set out on the road, playing
every major street corner across Canada and throughout the NYC subway
system, before graduating to full fledged touring musician. When he’s
not on the road playing shows, Petunia is also involved in the theatre
world; building side projects, writing scores, acting, or collaborating
with theatre artists. He currently resides in Vancouver BC.

Besides a phenomenal musical lineup, Green River Festival is the
only major music festival that offers hot air balloon rides. For the 30th anniversary edition of the festival July 8-10, balloon launches will happen in the evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and in the morning on Saturday and Sunday.
Rides last about an hour. For those who want to dip their toes in the
water before jumping in, there will also be tethered balloon rides
available, weather permitting. They are about a 5 minute ride and can be
purchased that day on the field. And don’t worry about Indiana Jones
syndrome; according to balloon meister Paul Sena, “The landings are soft
and pleasant.”

The 30th anniversary edition of the Green River Fest
features Dawes, Shovels & Rope, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The North
Mississippi All Stars, Peter Wolf, Winterpills, Los Lobos, Shakey
Graves, And The Kids, The Felice Brothers, Amy Helm, Madisen Ward and
Mama Bear, Margo Price, and many more on three stages plus camping.

Originally two separate events, the music festival and hot air
balloon festival merged in the late 1980s to become the fest that NY
Times, USA Today, and Rolling Stone have praised.

The full balloon rides are sold at $225/person in advance, and
includes a 1 day pass to the festival. They can also be purchased at the
festival for $250. Tethered rides are $10 for kids and $15 for adults.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Louis Armstrong was once asked what his
favorite kind of music was, and his response was simple; "Good
music". Petunia & the Vipers' sound may not sit comfortably in one
certain genre, but "Good Music" describes it well.Hank
Williams on acid… Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's Hobo junction…
Avant-Country night club scene music… One of the best bands in the world today,
of any kind… hillbilly-flavoured-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-thunderously
rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show… A new music
that springboards off of music of the past and jumps into the present day, left
with only echoes of the past… Something in between 1920's and steam punk. It's
good for your mind… These are just a few of the words uttered by folks
around the globe trying to pin down a description of all that is Petunia &
The Vipers.

If one wished to talk about the birth of the
blues, one would need to dig into the influences that preceded it’s birth.The same is true about Petunia & the
Vipers. If they followed a recipe and added musical styles as ingredients, it
would start by simply adding country and blues, and we'd have your basic dry
ingredients right there, but lacking the true essence of their sound.Mix in a dose of ragtime, some Dixieland
jazz, a hint of bebop, some western swing and old time cowboy music, a bit of
jug band & string band music. Flavor with a significant dose of Carter
Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, and a bit of Blind Willie McTell,
Blind Lemon Jefferson and a few more "Blind" spices.Now you’ve got the batter for a cake.Bake on high with the dotted rhythms of
Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, Romanian and African folk music.Ice the whole cake with some punk rock,
alternative and Bowie (who also spins off a host of influences of the UK music
past), and you’ve got a delectable musical concoction…part old-tyme, part new
times, part no time at all, part all-of-the-time…

Sun Ra said, "the key to freedom is
discipline". You cannot break the rules if you do not understand the
rules.Petunia and the Vipers' sound is
a familiar and yet wholly new music for that reason: they intimately understand
the rules of classic Americana music(s) and where the edges of that painting
lie…and they refuse to paint inside of the lines at any time. This is a new and
modern band playing unadulterated, unclassified, unleashed sounds that rhyme
with older sounds of the past, and are furiously driving the future wave of a
new idiom.

PETUNIA, The man:

Petunia is
more than just an entertainer, he's a modern musical enigma.Imagine that David Lynch and Nick Cave had a
hillbilly baby, that yodeled… or Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's hobo
junction.This is just one way of
describing the man known simply as Petunia.He’s an adventure seeker, a poker player, and a mysterious stranger. He’s been referred to as “The Savior of
Country Music”, and a man who exists in a different era, bringing the past
forth as something new to be celebrated and not forgotten.

Petunia
grew up in rural Quebec, in exactly the sort of surroundings that a country
musician would find idyllic, with old dilapidated barns, secret forts, and
acres of unspoiled land.As an adult,
the wandering spirit took a firm hold on his life, so he set out on the road,
playing every major street corner across Canada and throughout the NYC subway
system, before graduating to full fledged touring musician. When he’s not on the road playing shows,
Petunia is also involved in the theatre world; building side projects, writing
scores, acting, or collaborating with theatre artists.He currently resides in Vancouver BC, and works
with several sets of sidemen across Canada, the US and Europe in addition to
his own Vancouver based band, The Vipers. A restless wanderer, a musical
historian, and a quirky yet amazing talent, Petunia is simply a Canadian
treasure joining the greats from north of the 49th.

PETUNIA & THE VIPERS, The band:

Petunia & The Vipers formed in 2007,
starting out as a sometimes-band, playing locally on the west coast.Things really got going for the group in 2009
when they began touring the US west coast, and recorded the bed tracks for
their first album at the Sound Factory in Hollywood.Little by little, the album was added to and perfected,
and in 2012 they released the self-titled album “Petunia & The Vipers”
officially, to rave reviews and frenzied fans.Since it’s release the band has gone on to tour across parts of Canada,
playing summer festivals and sold out shows, as well as several tours
throughout the UK, and a regular circuit from Vancouver to Los Angeles, playing
cities and towns down the west coast.In
2014, Petunia released a new album titled “Inside of You”, which features three
backing bands, including the Vipers, a Roma-Swing ensemble, and an alt-country
group of prominent Vancouver musicians.The album’s release was commemorated with a Petunia & The Vipers
release show in Vancouver, a tour across western Canada and the US west coast, and
a summer of playing shows at festivals across the country.

Petunia & The Vipers play several tours a
year while Petunia is not touring on solo or duo missions.The full band is a typically a five piece,
however a violinist is added when required, or when other accompanists are
unable to play.The Vipers play in
various other projects and are well known through their efforts.Guitarist Stephen Nikleva and Lap Steel
player Jimmy Roy are former Ricochets, of Ray Condo and the Ricochets, while
Patrick Metzger plays bass with several projects, including a bluegrass band led
by some-time violinist Kathleen Nisbet.

Monday, April 18, 2016

“Absolutely one-of-a-kind… a powerhouse of emotion, grit and wit… the savior of country music?” – The Bluegrass Situation

"Petunia and the mother****ing Vipers. One of the best bands in the world today, of any kind" – Phil Alvin

“Amazing… incredibly entertaining” - Bob Harris, BBC

You walk into a western saloon. Doors creak, the bartender glares at
you, and windows are covered in dust kicked up by the wind. But the band
in the corner is utterly spectacular, the best you’ve heard. In that
David Lynch meets Quentin Tarantino setting, there’s only one band that
could possibly live up and it is led by a western Canadian man named
Petunia. Petunia & The Vipers are a crack band that take rockabilly,
western swing, surf, honky tonk, gypsy jazz, and film noir music, and
wrap it up with a beat-poetry and punk-attitude twist. Their new album
‘Dead Bird on the Highway’ is their most eclectic to date.

Petunia’s originals shine through. Among the highlights is surreal
personification “Death Himself,” reminiscent of fellow Canadians Timber
Timbre; and “Chained,” which draws from gypsy jazz “Gonna Put On My
Suit” kicks off like an obscure Sun Records side before diving deep into
Bob Wills-inspired territory. “Lou Lou” breaks out the echo box and
demands to be blasted from a giant chrome-covered car with the top down.

Petunia also proves himself an expert crate-digger. “I’m Shakin’,” most
recently reinterpreted by Jack White, swings and sways with horns. Otis
Blackwell’s “Oh What a Wonderful Time” gets a sultry rendition.
(Blackwell is the author of “All Shook Up,” “Fever,” “Great Balls of
Fire,” and “Return to Sender.”) Petunia also shines a light on local
Vancouver legend the Minimalist Jugband with the weirdo-poetry of “Bloom
Bloom Bloom.” Petunia sings in Swahili on the surfy “Asaw Fofor.”

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Leland Sundries’ debut full-length album ‘music for outcasts,’ out June 3
on L’Echiquier Records/Weiner Records, has earned raves in the UK,
where it is already out. The Brooklyn band has also been added to the
Green River Festival playing July 10, the same day as Tedeschi Trucks
Band, North Mississippi All Stars, and Margo Price. Here’s what the UK
press has said:

“Life affirming… Leland Sundries’ debut album and first European release
shows a ton of promise and is a very enjoyable listen. It will
certainly appeal to fans of bands like Velvet Underground and Jonathan Richman as well as fans of bands like Whiskeytown and Starsailor.”
- Alan Ewart, Louder Than War, February 16, 2016

“Leland Sundries match crackling garage rock with a near bubblegum love
of melody. The band's sound sits somewhere between Pavement and The
Archies, with a dose of Jonathan Richman's off kilter wit thrown in for
good measure.”
- Robin Murray, Clash Music, January 19, 2016

“Cool… Notes of Lou Reed and the Modern Lovers.”
- Metro London, December 12, 2015

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Piney Gir – the London-based, Kansas-raised indie pop artist who was not
allowed to listen to pop music until the age of 14 – is earning raves
for ‘Mr. Hyde’s Wild Ride’ (Greyday) as she supported the national tour
by Gaz Coombes (Supergrass) in the past few weeks. Paste Magazine premiered the “Mouse of a Ghost,” featuring a drunk, animated penguin
president planning to bomb Disney World.

“Her whimsical - but never cloying - tunes have bright, catchy melodies
and her voice has a charming lilt… her songs have an underpinning of
steel-strong craft.”
- Marianne Meyer, Examiner, March 31, 2016

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

With the 30th edition of the Green River Festival coming up July 8-10
in Greenfield, MA with Dawes, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Shovels & Rope,
Shakey Graves, and many more, the concert’s producer and Signature
Sounds Recordings head Jim Olsen was inspired to look back at the fest’s
origins. The first festival took place in 1986 as a free one day event
at Greenfield Community College to celebrate the 5th anniversary of
local radio station WRSI (now known as The River). The free show was
headlined by NRBQ, who are returning this year. The then-unknown band
10,000 Maniacs performed (featuring a very young Natalie Merchant).

The following weekend the Franklin County Chamber Of Commerce held the
first Upcountry Hot Air Balloon Festival. The following year the two
events merged and eventually became the Green River Festival, which is
now known nationally for its merging of bands, hot air balloons,
childrens’ activities, and more.

In its now-thirty year history, the fest has earned acclaim from USA
Today, Rolling Stone, and NY Times and has hosted Dr. John, Alison
Krauss & Union Station, Steve Earle, The Punch Brothers, tUnE-yArDs,
Buddy Guy, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Avett Brothers, Norah
Jones, and many more. Last year’s fest set a new attendance record with
14,000 tickets sold in 2015. The Green River Festival will take another
leap forward in 2016 with the addition of camping at the Franklin County
Fairgrounds.